It may not be long before Amazon and other e-tailers export their increasingly sharp marketing models to Asia, says Visa's Perlman.

CNN: THE E-TAIL REVOLUTION

But before you start shorting the stocks of stodgy old companies slow to the Net, consider that it will be some time--a long time--before e-commerce really pays off across Asia.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Asia Buzz: Let's Lose the Prefix

In recent years, however, the act of reading has undergone a rapid transformation, as devices such as the Kindle and iPad account for a growing share of book sales. (Amazon, for instance, now sells more e-books than hardcovers.) Before long, we will do most of our reading on screens lovely, luminous screens.

WSJ: How E-Readers Change the Way We Read | Head Case by Jonah Lehrer